Published: Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 4:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 4:39 p.m.

As the pontoon boat Timucuan came to a sloshing halt, John Hare, the International Baccalaureate chemistry teacher at Vanguard High School, on Tuesday dropped an acrylic torpedo-shaped water collector with a “plop” into Silver Springs.

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Hare and four of his IB chemistry students have been collecting data from the Silver River on a monthly basis for a year and a half. The data includes pictures and information about conductivity, clarity and turbidity, which is sent to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Springs Institute.

The group stop at 18 spots along the river, starting about two miles east of the main boil of Silver Springs. Hare collects water samples at five spots of equal distance from the main boil, while the students collect data at all 18 spots.

The water sampling started about three years ago, done by volunteers with the Silver River Museum, according to museum director Scott Mitchell.

“John Hare called and was interested in having his IB chemistry students start an ongoing water testing program along the Silver River,” Mitchell said. He said he put Hare in touch with Bob Knight at the Florida Springs Institute and then Hare and Knight coordinated expansion of the sampling project.

Hare also contacted the Felburn Foundation, where Guy Marwick, former director of the Silver River Museum, is executive director. The foundation awarded a grant to Vanguard to help buy equipment for the project.

“The first thing is I hope that we have sparked some interest in future leaders, who will become conservationists. This has been a part of the foundation to promote environmental education and preservation of our land. The level of the study they're doing is expectable science for anyone to draw conclusions from. I love what these kids are doing, to be involved with what we've left behind with them. Those are some tough issues for the future generation to fix,” Marwick said.

Hare said the group tests for 11 parameters.

“The most threatening is nitrates and heavy metals, which could worsen pollution to the aquifer,” Hare said. “We don't see those yet (heavy metals).”

Hare said the river was pristine in the 1950s and he thinks it could return to its natural beauty.

“I would love to have the future decision makers come out and see it as it is, and learn what it once was,” he said.

Hare said if it were possible to eliminate nitrogen and wastewater run-off, and with the proper regulations in place, the river could be restored in 25 to 50 years.

“Where else anywhere in the world can you see a gator just 20 feet away. We want to stop the damage and reverse it. We want to protect, preserve and restore,” Hare said.

“Silver Springs does not belong to us. It's on loan to us. And we're not good stewards for this whole ecosystem. We could see the reverse in our lifetime,” he added.

<p>As the pontoon boat Timucuan came to a sloshing halt, John Hare, the International Baccalaureate chemistry teacher at Vanguard High School, on Tuesday dropped an acrylic torpedo-shaped water collector with a “plop” into Silver Springs.</p><p>Hare and four of his IB chemistry students have been collecting data from the Silver River on a monthly basis for a year and a half. The data includes pictures and information about conductivity, clarity and turbidity, which is sent to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Springs Institute.</p><p>The group stop at 18 spots along the river, starting about two miles east of the main boil of Silver Springs. Hare collects water samples at five spots of equal distance from the main boil, while the students collect data at all 18 spots.</p><p>The water sampling started about three years ago, done by volunteers with the Silver River Museum, according to museum director Scott Mitchell.</p><p>“John Hare called and was interested in having his IB chemistry students start an ongoing water testing program along the Silver River,” Mitchell said. He said he put Hare in touch with Bob Knight at the Florida Springs Institute and then Hare and Knight coordinated expansion of the sampling project.</p><p>Hare also contacted the Felburn Foundation, where Guy Marwick, former director of the Silver River Museum, is executive director. The foundation awarded a grant to Vanguard to help buy equipment for the project.</p><p>“The first thing is I hope that we have sparked some interest in future leaders, who will become conservationists. This has been a part of the foundation to promote environmental education and preservation of our land. The level of the study they're doing is expectable science for anyone to draw conclusions from. I love what these kids are doing, to be involved with what we've left behind with them. Those are some tough issues for the future generation to fix,” Marwick said.</p><p>Hare said the group tests for 11 parameters.</p><p>“The most threatening is nitrates and heavy metals, which could worsen pollution to the aquifer,” Hare said. “We don't see those yet (heavy metals).”</p><p>Hare said the river was pristine in the 1950s and he thinks it could return to its natural beauty.</p><p>“I would love to have the future decision makers come out and see it as it is, and learn what it once was,” he said.</p><p>Hare said if it were possible to eliminate nitrogen and wastewater run-off, and with the proper regulations in place, the river could be restored in 25 to 50 years.</p><p>“Where else anywhere in the world can you see a gator just 20 feet away. We want to stop the damage and reverse it. We want to protect, preserve and restore,” Hare said.</p><p>“Silver Springs does not belong to us. It's on loan to us. And we're not good stewards for this whole ecosystem. We could see the reverse in our lifetime,” he added.</p>